We are only two weeks away from the AstriEurop Exhibit in Paris (April 14-16) and I though it would be a good idea to give you a preview of some products that we are planning to bring along ;o)

The RP08 is finally here! A versatile SOHO/Residential Router and PBX appliance
PBX: Open Source (Asterisk)
High performance OSLEC (Open Source Line Echo Canceller)
Configurable IVR menus
Voice Mail,Voicemail to Email
Call forward, call waiting, call transfer
Call conference
Call queues
SIP/IAX2 trunking
8 analog ports (FXO/FXS)
Call Detail Records
Access via: SSH, HTTP
30 concurrent calls

Router: Linux-based (kernel 2.6.32)
Automatic MDI/MDI-X crossover on all ports
Full 100Mbps supported on all ports
802.1Q tag-based VLAN (16 VLANs, full range VID)
VLAN ID and 802.1P tag/untag option per port
QoS/CoS per port 802.1p and DiffServ-based
802.1D spanning tree protocol support
Extensive MIB counter management support
802.11b/g/n WiFi support with optional EnGenius EMP9602 Card

VoIP X
It is some time since I gave you the first preview of our upcoming VoIP X Appliance, but even though it has been ready for release since December 2009 we decided to wait until the AstriEurop Exhibit before we made it available. This has given us ample time to test it properly with various Blades manufactured by Positron in  Canada, and we will now start working on software for the Server Blade that will turn it into a powerful and easily upgradeable TCS
(Total Communications System) or “UC on steroids.” ;o)

Atcom’s IP-4G, IP-2G4A and IP-2G4B
I got a call from Andres of EuropeSIP some time ago telling me that they were preparing an Exhibit in Madrid, Spain. He was asking for news about the latest Atcom PBX’s, so I decided to reroute my own IP-2G4A and get it shipped directly to them from the factory. As a result I still haven’t been able to test it, but hopefully it will arrive from our Partner in Spain within the next few days. In the mean time, have a look at these photos of the IP-4G:

Press Release, Unified Communications

For the last three years I have been looking for parts, those very special parts that would permit me to built a very special line of PBX’s. My requirements was tough; two basic appliances should cover at least ten different models, the PBX should have the capability of growing more powerful and with more features when the need arise, quality should be as good as the BIG manufacturers, it should be based on Open Source software and last but not least, High Value For Money! Guess what! The first prototype was running this afternoon!

The prototype is a 2U appliance with dual redundant power supplies and with the capacity of 4 PBX Blades and one Server Blade. Each PBX blade has a tested capacity of more than 50 concurrent VoIP calls, and we have Blades with E1/T1, Analogue and BRI technology. The PBX can operate with or without the Server Blade and with any combination of the PBX Blades. And more Blades are currently under development.

The initial release will be with 1 to 4 separate PBX Blades in the 2U cabinet, but we are working on a solution that will make it possible to combine the power of all blades to a whopping 200+ concurrent calls. And this is only the beginning, a 4U appliance with a much higher capacity is in the works as well.

As everybody with children know, finding a good name for the last member of the family is a lot more difficult than the creation itself. But I think we finally got it;
VoIPtel X Series Communication Appliance, or VoIP X for short. Cute name for a great future! ;o)

More info and pictures will be posted in the near future.

Knowledge, Open Source; Good Business or Dangerous Adventure?, PBX stuff, Unified Communications

They are the guys we all just love to hate whether we use their products or not. But regardless of personal opinions, they have been instrumental in shaping our lives since Bill Gates licensed the MS-DOS to IBM far back in a previous millennium. So when they started talking about Unified Communication and their vision for the future I did like everybody else; I listened carefully. And behold, it was great! Sleek! Shining! Well integrated! Expensive! Ooops! You got that right, prohibitively expensive for a small business! Don’t believe me?

Well, take a look for yourself, do some simple math and ask your accountant if he/she will recommend buying it! Smaller organizations need a convincing reason to invest in Microsoft unified communications (UC) and telephony. They risk a lack of return on the investment.
The total cost of ownership (TCO) benefits from economies of scale.

Direct costs are typically about:
• $180 per user per month for a small organization of 50 users
• $60 per user per month for a medium organization of 500 users
• $30 per user per month for a large organization of 5,000 users

The major cost elements are:
• Software capital purchase, appropriately amortized
• Server hardware capital purchase, appropriately amortized
• Software support/maintenance costs
• Fully loaded employment of IT administrators and help desk staff

Let’s take a small company with 15 employees and add it up:
$180 per user per month * 15 = $2 700.00 pr month.

Oooha! Let’s start looking for alternatives! I checked out one solution some time before Christmas put together by Unison, at that time they had a Paid Version as well as an open source version. They have recently changed their strategy and are now giving away the Paid Version for free (GRATIS!) if you are willing to accept some sponsors ads on the top.

And if you opt for the NoAd version, $50 sounds a lot better than $180, right? Let’s add this one up as well:
$50 per user per year * 15 = $62.50 pr month.

That one taste a little better, I saved $2 637,50 each month on not buying the fancy stuff from Microsoft. But since I don’t really mind having a small banner on my UC, on second thought I go for the sponsored version. It’s faster and more convenient than putting together my own from open source components, I know it works and I can call support if I get into trouble.

Last but not least, Unison is not alone; check out what is available before you make your choice.

Unified Communications